The Story of the Future of Work — Part 2
Part 2: The Present — Probable Future for Small Town America
As technology doubles every 18–24 months, machines will be able to outperform humans at almost any task. Fields such as loan officers, accounting, insurance claims, and any other repetitive task will be at risk of automation.
People must move up the skill chain. Machines will perform the work alongside the worker at first, and then replace the employee entirely. Employees will need to become continuous learners, and reskill themselves to stay relevant in the workplace. Since 1975, the majority of the increase in productivity has gone to capital, rather than labor. It will likely continue to do so — and even accelerate, resulting in increasing inequity.
Meanwhile, the majority of society — middle classes, and in particular, the poor — will experience significant upheaval and little upside. They will be forced to retrain or relocate as human jobs are replaced by smart machines.
So, what work do you tell your 8th grader to consider? Some say show them the benefits of a construction trade. Others say learn to program the machines, and yet others say learn to grow vegetables. Everyone needs to eat.
Are we honest with the youth about the kinds of skills they will need to work with AI and robotics in 2035? Are we equipping them?
We need to ramp up attention to this important topic. If we don’t pay attention, we’ll see an employment crisis that leads to increased inequality and social unrest. There are choices to make about how we’re going to provide a reasonable standard of living for the many people that will be displaced. People may feel abandoned by their industries, feel vulnerable with few job prospects, and will all be looking for a better future.
…you’re thinking, “Why all the doom and gloom? We’ve weathered storms before right?”
Yes, times are good right now. Stock markets are at record highs… But what happens when small communities lose economic viability?
- Crime rates increase
- The social fabric is torn — as desperation sets in, domestic violence, drug abuse, and suicide rates increase, etc.
- People leave and move to the city as they look for work, but what happens to those that remain? Those that can’t find a job must be re-skilled, which requires continuous learning
We don’t have time to adapt because change is happening faster…
We need to anticipate the change. That’s where we are. We need leaders to rise.
This possible future is bleak, but that doesn’t mean small towns can’t compete.
Why is the gig economy so important for the future of work? Remote workers have no physical boundaries and value freedom and flexibility. They are economic engines — bringing new dollars to a community with a 5x greater impact than a traditional manufacturing job. It is time for these communities to realize that this is the workforce they should be competing aggressively to attract and retain.
Our vision is to establish a governance framework as connective tissue between entities enabling an operating system to democratize a more equitable structure for the future of work.
